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H. R. MARSH TWISTER Jan. 24, 1956 l t m 2 h 5 s h. M 4 t e W m 6/ 4 4 u S p 4 2 W {tr 4 1 w x 0 H 5 V u Q 4 7 5 a 7 n 0 1 4 4 5 0 04 0 0 0 0 0 4 V 0000 0 0 n v 0 a V w a 9 l 3 2 m 1 J o...... g \i 0 0 0w0 0 0 0 b 0 n 1 F F HTTQRNEV IN VEN TOR.

H. R. MARSH Jan. 24, 1956 TWISTER' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 23, 1952 INVENTOR.

BY MM ATTORNEI TWISTER Henry R. Marsh, Saco, Maine, assig'nor to Saco-Loweii Shops, Boston, Mass, a corporation of Maine Application July 23, 1952, Serial No. 360,439

6 Claims. (Cl. 57-=58.83)

This invention relates to textile twisting machines of the so called 2 for 1 type, and more particularly to a yarn tensioning device for use on such machines.

As is well understood by those skilled in the art, a machine of this type is so organized as to put two turns of twist into the yarn, thread or other strand to be twisted for each revolution of the spindle. For convenience the material to be twisted will be hereinafter referred to as yarn and the package from which such yarn is drawn will be referred to as a spool.

A prior art machine of this type comprises a revolving vertical spindle on which is mounted a stationary spool, the spool being supported by a normally stationary yarn package carrier rotatably mounted on the spindle. Commonly', magnets are used to maintain the yarn package carrier in stationary position. The spindle and the spool support, or carrier, have a central passage therethrough for guiding the yarn unwound from the spool to a flier mounted below the support, such lower flier commonly being of the type having a yarn storage Wheel for supplying a tension to the yarn. As the yarn is unwound from the spool, the arrangement is such that, when the machine is in operation, it draws yarn from the stationary spool and feeds it downwardly through the spindle to the storage wheel which forms a part of the lower flier. From this member the yarn runs through a stationary guide above the spindle and then to some suitable winding mechanisrn. Thus, one turn of twist is put into the yarn after it leaves the spool and, during its travel to the lower flier, a second turn of twist is imparted to the yarn.

In such machines, both the uniformity of tension and adjustment of such tension are extremely important because in them the yarn is not positively fed as it is in other types of twisting mechanisms, but on the contrary, it is drawn from a stationary spool by the pull of the take-off mechanism. Consequently, such factors as the tensile stress imposed on the yarn during the twist operation, and the extent of the balloon on the yarn after it leaves the spool must be taken into account.

The storage wheel on the lower flier is intended to maintain the balloon of the yarn in a stable form since the wrap of the yarn around the circumference of such storage wheel can vary in accordance with the amount of balloon by varying its frictional resistance. However, to provide both for the change in the tension of the yarn as it is unwound from the spool and for a means of adjusting such tension to accommodate fine as well as coarse work and to serve for high spindle speeds, particularly with the latter class of work, it has been found essential to provide some form of pretension means acting on the yarn prior to its passage to the storage wheels in order properly to snub the yarn around the storage wheel.

Heretofore such pretension means have been mechanically relatively complicated devices generally installed internally of the spindle structure and thus diflicult and expensive to manufacture as well as diflicult to adjust. Furthermore, due to their complexity, they were diflicult to keep in adjustment and each individual spindle on the ice 2 frame had to be separately adjusted for most eflicient operation.

Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel yarn pretensioning means which is exceedingly simple both in construction and operation and one which furthermore may be quickly and easily adapted for most eflicient operation of the spindle with a given size yarn.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a novel upper flier structure which provides such pretensioning and also is better organized to unwind the yarn directly from the spool than with heretofore known fliers. I have found that by such novel means I am enabled to unwind fine yarns at far higher speeds than has heretofore been considered practical.

It is a particular feature of my novel upper flier structure that by its use I am more readily enabled to unwind badly wound yarns with far less danger of breakage.

It is a further feature of my novel upper flier structure that it does not permit the yarn to come in contact with the flange of a spool being unwound. Hence, spools having nicked or otherwise damaged flanges may be used without danger of harming the yarn.

For the purpose of more fully explaining a preferred embodiment of my invention reference is made to the following drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a general elevational view of the 2 for 1 twister embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional elevational view, partly broken away, of the twister of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the twister of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a portion of the tensioning means of the twister of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view of the portion of the tensioning means of Fig. 4..

Referring to the drawings, the 2 for 1 twister includes a vertical spindle rotatably mounted on a twister frame which commonly is arranged to mount a relatively large number of such spindles. The spindle generally includes a non=rotatable blade 12 suitably mounted on said frame 10, such as by nuts 14 and rubber Washers 16, the blade 12 rotatably supporting a spindle whirl 18. The whirl 18 may be driven to rotate portions of the spindle structure by a tape (not shown) in the well known manner. The upper portion of the spindle has an axial yarn passage therethrough as is common in 2 for l twisters.

A lower flier 20 is mounted on said spindle above whirl 18 for rotation therewith, such flier 20 being of a general cup shape and having a yarn storage wheel portion 22 at its lower extremity. The storage wheel 22 has therein a passage 24 between its outer periphery and the axial yarn passage through the spindle to provide means for unwinding the yarn through the center of the spindle onto the storage wheel.

A normally stationary yarn package carrier 3% is rotatably mounted on said spindle above lower flier 2i! as by anti-friction bearings 32, such yarn package carrier being maintained in stationary position by magnetic means as more fully described in Patent No. 2,374,085 to E. C. Gwaltney. Such means may consist of a pair of horse shoe magnets 36 mounted in fixed position relative to twister frame It by a bracket 38 to co-operate with a pair of horseshoe magnets 34 mounted on yarn package car'- rier 30. The yarn package carrier is arranged to hold a spool 40 surrounding said carrier, an annular ring 42 of rubber or other resilient frictional material being provided on said carrier for holding said spool by frictional engagementtherewith, the spool 40 in effect becoming part of the carrier structure and being shown (Fig. l) as having yarn 41 wound thereon inthe usual manner. A pad 44 of similar resilient frictional material may be provided on the upper surface of the lower flange of said yarn package carrier-in position to contact a surface of spool 40 to aid in holding it.

The upper end of normally stationary spool 40 is provided with an upper support member 46 rotatively fixed with respect to said spool and adapted to support an upper flier 50, said support member 46 fitting within the cylindrical end of spool 40 and having a central shaft portion 48 with an axial passage 49 therethrough. The upper flier 50 is positioned above support member 46 on shaft 48, and is mounted for free rotative movement with respect to the normally stationary support member by means of an antifriction bearing 52, the inner normally stationary race of which rests on the upper surface of support member 46, the outer race being spaced from said surface to allow free rotation thereof.

My novel upper flier 50 includes a horizontal disc 54 extending outwardly from the outer race of bearing 52, said disc 54 further having a guide member 56 of generally heart shape including curved slanting edges 60 extending downwardly from the peripheral edge of said disc 54 outside of the spool 40. At the upper portion of said heart shaped guide at opposite edges thereof are provided yarn guiding slots 55 through which the yarn is threaded, a slot 55 together with a curved slanting edge 60 spaced from said slot providing means for unwinding the yarn from the spool at an angle substantialy perpendicular to the axis of the spindle, as the yarn 41 passes from the spool 40 to an edge 60 thence across the face of the heart shaped guide portion 56 to the slot 55 at the top of the opposite edge 60 and finally to the axial passage 49 through shaft 48, as indicated in Fig. l. The use of two slots 55 and edges 60 permits unwinding from a spool 40 in either direction. In order to balance the upper flier structure, openings 58 may be provided in disc 54, said openings being of such extent and location to balance out the effect of guide member 56.

With such arrangement, I have found it desirable to provide an adjustable means for braking the upper flier to provide a pretension on the yarn. Such means includes a simple friction disc 64, as best shown in Figs. 4 and 5, having a central opening adapted to engage shaft 48 and be maintained in non-rotative position relative to said shaft 48 thereby but still. permitting free vertical movement of said disc relative to said shaft. In order better to maintain disc 64 in non-rotative position relative to shaft 48, said shaft preferably has a hexagonal portion 66 which tits a hexagonal central opening 68 on disc 64.

The friction disc 64 is preferably provided with radial grooves 70 on its lower surface in contact with the upper surface of upper flier disc 54, such grooves being effective to provide more uniform frictional characteristics by reducing the sticking tendency of smooth opposing surfaces, and hence better control of the pretension imparted to the yarn. The disc 64 is thus held in normally stationary position in frictional engagement with the upper surface of upper flier disc 54 and provides a simple and effective means for braking the rotation of the upper flier 50 which is imparted to said flier by the unwinding of yarn 41 from the spool 40 through engagement of said yarn by said upper flier surfaces and thus provides a pretension on such yarn. The amount of such pretension may be quickly and easily adjusted by varying the amount of such braking which may be most easily accomplished by changing the weight and/or material of the friction disc 64 to provide the amount of braking most desirable for the particular yarn which is to be unwound.

With the arrangement as shown, the various means are such as to permit the easy dotting of spool 40 simply by picking up support member 46 by its shaft 48 with upper flier 50 and friction disc 64 thereon, and then lifting spool 40 from carrier member 30. The disc 64 and upper flier 50 are readily removed from support member 46 by sliding them vertically along its shaft 48.

- Thus it will be seen that I have provided, in a 2 h for l twister, a novel yarn pretensioning and unwinding means. It will be seen by'those skilled in the art that such novel tensioning devices are applicable to other forms of winding machines as well as the 2 for 1 type herein described and that the braking means may take other forms, the particular means herein shown being particularly simple and effective.

While I have herein disclosed and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that the same is susceptible of various modifications and changes within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a 2 for 1 twister, a rotatable spindle having an axial yarn passage therethrough, a normally stationary yarn package carrier rotatably mounted on said spindle, an upwardly extending hollow shaft member mounted on said yarn package carrier in rotatably fixed position, an upper flier including a horizontal disc mounted for free rotation on said shaft member above said package carrier to guide yarn being unwound from a yarn package on said carrier, and a friction disc mounted on said shaft member in rotatably fixed position above said upper flier disc to frictionally engage the upper surface of said upper flier disc, whereby the frictional engagement of the surfaces of said friction disc and said upper flier disc provides a pretension on a yarn being removed from said yarn package.

2. In a 2 for 1 twister as claimed in claim 1, in which said friction disc has a central opening adapted to engage said shaft member for free vertical movement.

3. In a 2 for 1 twister, a rotatable spindle having an axial yarn passage therethrough, a normally stationary yarn package carrier rotatably mounted on said spindle, an upper flier having a horizontal surface mounted for free rotation coaxial with said spindle to guide yarn being unwound from a yarn package on said carrier, and a normally rotatably fixed friction member mounted adjacent said flier and frictionally engaging said flier horizontal surface, whereby the frictional engagement of the surfaces of said friction member and said upper flier provides a pretension on yarn as it is removed from said yarn package.

4. In a 2 for 1 twister as claimed in claim 3, in which said friction member is mounted above said upper flier for free vertical movement whereby the weight of said friction member provides the pretension on said yarn.

5. In a 2 for 1 twister, a rotatable spindle having an axial yarn passage therethrough, a normally stationary yarn package carrier rotatably mounted on said spindle, an upwardly extending hollow shaft member mounted on said yarn package carrier in rotatably fixed position, an upper flier including an upper horizontal surface mounted for free rotation on said shaft member above said package carrier to guide yarn being unwound from a yarn package on said carrier, and a friction member mounted on said shaft member in rotatably fixed position above said upper flier to frictionally engage the upper surface of said upper flier, whereby the frictional engagement of the surfaces of said friction member and said upper flier provides a pretension on a yarn being removed from said yarn package.

6. In a 2 for l twister, a rotatable spindle having an axial yarn passage therethrough, a normally stationary yarn package carrier rotatably mounted on said spindle, an upwardly extending hollow shaft member mountedon said yarn package carrier in rotatably fixed position,-an upper flier including a horizontal disk mounted for free rotation on said shaft member above said package carrierand a yarn guide member including a downwardly extending portion having a slanted edge extending downwardly from the peripheral edge of said disk outside of said yarn package carrier and having a slot at the upper end thereof peripherally spaced from said slanted edge to guide yarn being unwound from a yarn package on said carrier, and a friction member mounted on said shaft member in rotatably fixed position above said upper flier disk to frictionally engage the upper surface of said upper fiier disk, whereby the frictional engagement of the surfaces of said friction member and said upper flier disk provides a pretension on a yarn being removed from said yarn package.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Cotterill Mar. 7, 1950 Koella June 13, 1950 Ancet Oct. 3, 1950 Klein Apr. 24, 1951 Cochran July 17, 1951 Landolt Jan. 11, 1955 

